Chasing A Myth
by FFTC Writes
Summary: When Bella finally begins to live after Edward's departure, she stumbles upon a book that leads her down a different path. Maybe everything she thought she knew, wasn't everything after all. Damon/Bella. Rated T for now.


**Prologue**

A storm was raging as Bella woke from another nightmare. Lightning crashed and the wind howled outside her bedroom window, she sprang from the bed, a cold sweat dripping down her back. She pushed back her long mahogany tresses from her face as her breathing regulated.

"Get a grip, Bella. The last thing you need is to wake Charlie up again."

Ever since the night of her eighteenth birthday, and the Cullens abandonment, Bella had been trapped in the memories. When she glanced at the wall she noticed the date, September 13th. She groaned and collapsed back onto the bed.

Something had to change. A full year of not living life had past. She had been just rolling through the motions, pretending everything she thought she knew her future would be and who it would be spent with vanished like a fog when the sun broke through. She couldn't live like this anymore. She couldn't continue to hurt Charlie with the shell she had become.

Maybe a change of scenery would help me to forget about the Cullens…and the painful memories they bring, she thought.

Thoughts and ideas continued to flow through her mind as she drifted off into sleep again.

When Bella awoke the next morning, she was stunned to see it was already after ten in the morning. She hadn't slept that long or so soundly after a nightmare in almost a year. The sun was out and birds were chirping.

Maybe nineteen wasn't going to be as bad as eighteen had been, she pondered.

When she entered the bathroom, Bella took in her reflection for truly the first time in over a year. Her naturally pale skin was no longer contained it's creaminess. Dark purple bruises and sunken cheekbones marred her once Snow White complexion. Though she never saw herself as beautiful before, her lack of caring and the nightmares had aged her more than a single year.

She looked and felt like she had lived two lifetimes. But that was going to change today. Bella decided she wasn't going to live in the past. A past that had abandoned her at the first real sign of trouble. She realized that Edward had been living the relationship with one foot out the door ever since the James incident. He wasn't as invested in their forever as she had been.

With one last glance in the mirror, she screamed, "Fuck you, Edward Cullen! And fuck all your victorian ideals! Today I begin to live for me!"

When she had finished showering, she felt like a weight had been lifted from her shoulders, no longer was she trapped by the memories and the dreams of becoming a vampire. That had obviously not been where her life was heading. Today was the first day of the rest of her life. She was going to embrace the new Bella and find the path she was supposed to be on.

She ate a hearty breakfast, not remembering the last time food tasted so good or when she ate with such zeal. The constant growling of her stomach ceased and she felt fuller than she had in months. When she was finished she washed up her dishes and wondered what to do next…

Books.

With a spring in her step, Bella grabbed her jacket and keys and headed out to the library. It was a short drive, and the small town was bustling with people who enjoying the rare sunny day. After she parked, she enter the quaint little building and took a deep breath. The musky smell of aged books and old papers filled her senses and she was overcome with peace.

"Oh. Good afternoon, Bella," the librarian stammered. She had been shocked to see the Chief's daughter after such a long time.

"Hello, Mary. How are you today?" Bella could understand the poor woman's shock. It had been a long time since she had been out of the house, not to mention actually speaking to people.

"I'm fine, dear. Do you need any help finding a book?"

"No, thank you. I think I'll just look around, see what peeks my interests."

Mary nodded. "Just let me know if you do."

"Okay." Bella was off to discover the wonderful world of books again.

She walked down the aisles, her fingers gliding along all the uneven spines and worn edges of the well used and loved books. She stopped when she reached a book about myths and secrets of the south. It stood out, called to her even.

She pulled the book down from the shelf and when and sat down at a table to see what it was about.

Mystic Falls, A Town Shrouded in the Supernatural. She snorted at the title. I bet it has nothing on Forks, she thought.

As she scanned the pages, she became intrigued the mention of founding families and legacies. It lead readers to believe there was more to the sleepy little town besides it Civil War history and it's antiquity speakeasy days. It was thought to be a hub for witches and other supernatural creatures such as vampires and werewolves.

She could discount the fact that it was quite possible that maybe, just maybe there was another place in the United States where creatures went bump in the night. The thing Bella couldn't understand was why she was so drawn to find out if this story was true. Was she supposed to embrace the things she knew and didn't know? Was she supposed to explore a world so like hers and find the link between the two?

She was left with only one option… "Well, I Guess I'm going on a road trip."

**Thanks go to Deebelle OneFic.**


End file.
